The Rockies’ late-game reliever took note of a leadoff walk that haunted him, expressed frustration about the groundballs that found holes, and took responsibility for a poorly executed pitch that turned a significant Rockies’ victory into a stinging 10-8 defeat.

Leading the Padres 8-5 entering the ninth at Coors Field on Thursday afternoon, the Rockies were on the cusp of clinching the three-game series. But Vodnik walked Jackson Merrill, and then saw Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Miguel Andujar rap out groundball singles.

Then Vodnik threw a first-pitch cutter to Gavin Sheets. Bang: a three-run 379-foot homer down the right-field line. Ecstasy to agony.

“On the Gavin Sheets homer, it was a pitch I didn’t execute,” said Vodnik, who was charged with his second loss and his second blown save as his ERA spiked to 7.59. “It was a backup cutter. The Padres did a good job of executing, and I got a bit unlucky on those groundballs, and I didn’t execute when I had to.”

It was the second time this season that Sheets crushed Colorado. On April 10 at Petco Park, Sheets hit a three-run, walk-off home run off Roberto Mejia to beat the Rockies, 5-2.

Wasted in Colorado’s defeat on Thursday was left fielder Mickey Moniak’s 4-for-5 performance that included two solo home runs. Adding oomph to the gut-punch loss was the injury suffered by starter Ryan Feltner.

Feltner pitched just two innings before being removed from the game because of right triceps tightness. Starting second baseman Willi Castro departed after three innings because of pain in the patella tendon in his right knee.

“We have been working on (the triceps) in the training room for the last few days, and it just got a little tight in the second inning, so we took precautions,” Feltner explained.

His anger was evident on the mound at the end of the second when he snapped his glove when he struck out Jake Cronenworth to end the inning.

“That wasn’t the exact moment (of the injury), but that was frustration there,” he said.

Feltner said that the concern of a major injury is “pretty low,” but added, “There is no prognosis right now.”

Castro said the decision to pull him from the game was precautionary and said he didn’t expect to miss much playing time.

Moniak, meanwhile, continues flashing star power. Ten years after he was the first player selected in the major league draft, he’s playing as if he belongs in the Midsummer Classic in Philadelphia in July.

After batting .270 and hitting 24 homers for the Rockies last season, he’s hitting .324 with a 1.097 OPS this season. He believes the Rockies are making strides, but couldn’t hide his disappointment in letting a win slip away.

“At the end of the day, the name of the game is to win.  We weren’t able to get that done, but that’s baseball,” said the 27-year-old Moniak, who was selected in the first round by the Phillies in 2016 out of La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, Calif.

“Vic has been huge for us this year, but he just had a tough day,” Moniak continued. “That’s how it goes sometimes. I have all the confidence in the world in that guy. As much as this one hurts, we have to move forward.”

The Rockies begin a six-game, seven-day road trip in New York on Friday when they play the Mets at Citi Field. Moniak expects the Rockies to rebound from Thursday’s loss.

“I think so,” he said. “It’s been a year so far, with a lot of highs and some lows. Now it’s just going to be about finding that consistent high and figuring out ways to win baseball games. As bad as this one sucked, we had a .500 homestand against two good teams (Dodgers and Padres), and we easily could have been above .500 on the homestand.”

Pitching probables

Friday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-2, 7.48) at Mets RHP Freddy Peralta (1-2, 4.05), 5:10 p.m.

Saturday: Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (0-2, 6.23) at Mets RHP Kodai Senga (0-3, 8.83), 2:10 p.m.

Sunday: Rockies TBD at Mets RHP Nolan McLean (1-1, 2.67)

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: 850 AM & 94.1 FM

Their 8-3 victory over the Padres on Wednesday night at Coors Field offered the latest proof.

One night after losing a 1-0 game at home for the first time since Aug. 1, 2006, the Rockies rebounded with an impressive performance and snapped their seven-game losing streak to San Diego. Behind a strong start from Tomoyuki Sugano and a huge night at the plate from Hunter Goodman, Colorado improved to 10-15, including a 7-5 record at Coors.

Great shakes? No, but compared to a year ago, it’s baseball nirvana.

“There is a lot of confidence in this group and we have shown that we can do good things,” said Goodman, who hit 3 for 4 with a solo home run and two doubles. “You are not going to keep us down to three hits. You’re not going to do that a lot, and I think we have confidence as a group that we are going to bounce back, especially in this ballpark.”

After the first 25 games of last season’s 119-loss debacle, the Rockies were 4-21 and had already suffered a six-game losing streak and an eight-game losing streak, and they were three games deep into another eight-game skid.  In 2025, the Rockies did not win their 10th game until June 2, to improve to 10-50.

Sugano, who pitched poorly in Colorado’s 7-1 home loss to the Dodgers last Friday, handled the Padres for 5 2/3 innings. The veteran right-hander allowed one run on five hits, struck out four and walked one. He was never in serious trouble, though he departed the game with Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts on base after back-to-back, two-out singles. But reliever Jaden Hill cleaned up the mess by getting Gavin Sheets to ground out to second.

“Sugano has been fantastic,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “He’s locating the heater, and tonight the slider was really good, and the sweeper was good. He was just competing and attacking the zone. He’s a professional, and you can tell that when he goes out there.

“I think every time out there is probably a different pitch working for him. Tonight it was the sweeper and the slider.”

Sugano, who improved to 2-1 with a 3.42 ERA  through his five starts with Colorado, said he’s enjoying his time in Colorado.

“It’s a new team, new coaching staff, new environment, and good teammates,” he said through his interpreter, Yuto Sakurai. “Overall, it’s a very good environment for me so far.”

Last season, the Rockies’ offense often got stuck in a rut and stayed there, spinning its wheels. In their 1-0 loss on Tuesday night, the Rockies managed just three hits. But they pounded out 15 hits on Wednesday, and scored five of their eight runs with two outs.

Goodman launched a 427-foot leadoff home run in the eighth, his sixth homer of the season, tying Mickey Moniak for the team lead.

Moniak continues to rake. He hit two doubles and drove in a run, and has hit safely in his last seven games, slashing .346/.393/.654 during the streak. Rookie first baseman TJ Rumfield drove in Goodman with an RBI single in the fourth and scored Moniak with a double in the sixth. Rumfield and Moniak are tied for the team lead with 13 RBIs.

San Diego veteran right-hander Walker Buehler dominated the Rockies on April 10 at Petco Park, pitching six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits, walking none, and striking out four. Wednesday night, he got the hook after just 2 2/3 innings. The Rockies wrecked Buehler for four runs on eight hits, and he walked three.

The differing results were not solely due to different ballparks. The Rockies attacked Buehler differently this time around.

“It’s another step forward for us,” Schaeffer said. “Just the fact that we forced him to throw so many pitches within the first three innings (82), just tells me we are spitting on the balls.

“It’s so simple. I don’t want to make too much out of it, but it’s baseball. It’s spitting on the balls and offering at pitches in the zone. That’s what we did tonight. It was good and we have to do it again tomorrow.”

Colorado will attempt to win its third series of the season on Thursday afternoon vs. the Padres. Last season, Colorado didn’t win its third series until July 18-20, when it took two of three games from Minnesota at Coors.

Pitching probables

Thursday: Padres RHP Matt Waldron (0-1, 14.73 ERA) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-1, 6.00), 1:10 p.m.

Friday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-2, 7.48) at Mets RHP Freddy Peralta (1-2, 4.05), 5:10 p.m.

Saturday: Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (0-2, 6.23) at Mets RHP Kodai Senga (0-3, 8.83), 2:10 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: 850 AM & 94.1 FM

Sparked by Mickey Moniak’s two-run homer in the seventh and a 15-hit attack, the Rockies beat the Dodgers, 9-6, on a perfect spring Sunday in front of a crowd of 42,627 at Coors Field.

For the second straight game, it was Colorado, not the two-time defending World Series champions, that delivered when it mattered. The Rockies beat the Dodgers 4-3 on Saturday night before a sellout crowd of 47,925.

The roots of the mini-revival can be traced to the meeting between the struggling offense and manager Warren Schaeffer, along with hitting coaches Brett Pill and Jordan Pacheco. It came on the heels of a 3-1 loss to the Astros in Houston last Wednesday. Colorado had just three hits, struck out 15 times, and was 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position. The Rockies had 20 swings and misses.

The meeting wasn’t fire-and-brimstone, but it was effective.

“We talked as men,” Moniak said Sunday after hitting his team-leading sixth homer. “It definitely wasn’t a panic meeting. It was like, ‘Hey, this is what’s going on, this is what we are seeing. (There are) a lot of good things, but this is stuff we can improve on. And let’s talk about. Let’s figure out how we can do it as a team.’

“I think that’s where ‘Schaeff’ is incredible. He really allows us to rally around each other, and he pushes us in the right direction. He’s all about open dialogue, and it’s been a blessing.”

Moniak stressed that the players led the meeting, but said that Schaeffer and his coaches had input.

“We just talked about what we needed to do as a team,” Moniak said. “Team baseball always wins, and we want to figure out how to do that.”

Have the words transferred to the batter’s box?

“Yeah, 100%,” Moniak said. “I was fortunate last year with the Angels to have a presentation from Albert Pujols — one of the greats — and his whole mindset, and his whole approach at the plate was to have a good at-bat, every single at-bat. “That was his only focus, and he knew if he did that 600 times a year, he was going to be in a good spot.”

The Rockies are in a good spot right now, at least at home. They improved to 9-13 overall and 6-3 at Coors Field, where they have won six of their last seven. Sunday marked their first back-to-back wins against the Dodgers in a single season since taking three in a row at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 2-4, 2022.

“The goal is to maintain that energy every day,” Schaeffer said. “Start fresh tomorrow. Then start fresh the next day. These guys love each other, and they are pulling for each other every day, and that creates energy.”

The Rockies’ seventh-inning rally began with a leadoff double by Edouard Julien off right-hander Blake Treinen. Up stepped Moniak, who clobbered Treinen’s first-pitch sweeper 428 feet. A double by Hunter Goodman and an RBI single by Tyler Freeman gave the Rockies a two-run cushion.

Naturally, there was some LoDo drama.

Los Angeles’ Andy Pages and Hyeseong Kim singled in the eighth off reliever Jimmy Herget, and Alex Freeland blasted a ball to deep center field. But Brenton Doyle, inserted for defensive purposes, ran the ball down for the final out.

The ninth was a nail-biter. Shohei Ohtani led off with a ground-rule double off Victor Vodnik and scored on Will Smith’s single. The Dodgers packed the bases on an infield hit by Max Muncy and a walk by Vodnik. Pinch-hitter Daulton Rushing’s groundout scored a run, but Ryan Ward flied out to Troy Johnston in right field, who made a diving catch to close out Colorado’s win.

Colorado had bought some much-needed insurance with its three-run eighth. They needed it. The big hit was a two-run, bases-loaded single by Julien, who went 3 for 5 with three RBIs.

“It was big. We needed the (runs),” Schaeffer said.  “You need every run you can get against the Dodgers.”

L.A. took a short-lived 4-3 lead against right-handed reliever Antonio Senzatela in the sixth on Alex Freeland’s run-scoring single to right. It was the first run of the season allowed by Senzatela in six appearances.

Right-hander Michael Lorenzen delivered a workmanlike, five-inning start for the Rockies. The fact that he pitched five innings and left with the game tied 3-3 was a step forward for Lorenzen, who has a 7.48 ERA after five starts (six appearances). Lorenzen was tagged for seven hits, walked one, and struck out three.

“I have been working really hard to get my body moving the right way, and I feel like we are making progress,” he said.

The Dodgers scored two off Lorenzen in the third on a double by Kim, an RBI single by Alex Freeland, and an RBI double by Ohtani. The double extended Ohtani’s on-base streak to 51 consecutive games, moving him past “Wee” Willie Keeler for third all-time in Dodgers franchise history (since 1900). Only Hall of Famer Duke Snider (58 games in 1954) and Shawn Green (53 in 2000) are ahead of Ohtani.

Rookie first baseman TJ Rumfield drove in Colorado’s first run with a single in the fourth, and Colorado tied the game, 3-3, in the fifth on a 448-foot solo homer to left by Kyle Karros and an RBI single by Julien to score Jake McCarthy, who doubled.

The Dodgers and Rockies play the final game of the four-game series on Monday night at Coors.

Pitching probables

Monday: Dodgers LHP Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12) at Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63), 6:40 p.m.

Tuesday: Padres RHP Randy Vasquez (1-0, 2.49) at Rockies TBD, 6:40 p.m.

Wednesday: Padres RHP Walker Buehler (1-1-, 4.58) at Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-1, 3.92), 6:40 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: 850 AM & 94.1 FM

In a heart-in-your-throat, 4-3 victory over the Dodgers, Colorado relievers Brennan Bernardino, Jaden Hill, and Victor Vodnik combined to pitch 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

Vodnik pitched the ninth for his third save, but it didn’t come easily. Will Smith delivered a pinch-hit single for the Dodgers, and Shohei Ohtani singled to right, extending his on-base streak to 50 games. But Vodnik induced Kyle Tucker to pop out to left field, clinching the victory.

“Just attack and get ahead,” Vodnik said about facing Ohtani with the game on the line.

Before the four-game series with the Dodgers, Vodnik expressed his admiration for Ohtani, but also expressed belief in himself.

“That����ap going to be awesome to tell (my three daughters)I faced Shohei Ohtani,” he told The Post. “But for me, hopefully, he says, ‘I got to face Victor Vodnik.’ ”

The hard-throwing right-hander — who was unaware that Ohtani “Wee” Willie Keeler for the third-longest on-base streak in Dodgers franchise history (since 1900) — said he was not flustered when Ohtani hit his two-out single in the ninth.

“You just let it go, right away, and then you go after the next guy,” said Vodnik, who has not allowed an earned run over seven appearances (eight innings) in April, while going three-for-three on save opportunities.

Saturday marked the fourth time in the last five games that Colorado’s bullpen has not allowed a run, and its 0.68 ERA over that span has lowered the ‘pen’s overall ERA to 2.97.

“We’re nasty, man, the bullpen is nasty,” Vodnik said. “Everybody trusts everybody … and they pick each other up. And everybody throws friggin’ hard. And everybody gives different looks, so it makes it hard (on opponents), for sure.”

There was plenty of drama for an announced sellout crowd of 47,925, many of whom donned Dodger blue. Los Angeles loaded the bases in the eighth when Ohtani reached on catcher’s interference (Hunter Goodman was charged with an error), Tucker singled, and Teoscar Hernandez reached on a two-out walk by Hill. But Hill got the dangerous Max Muncy to tap a groundout to second base.

Crisis averted, high-fives in the dugout for Hill.

The Rockies took a 4-3 lead with a two-run sixth inning, finally coming through with the clutch hits that have eluded them so often. Goodman led off with a double, Ezequiel Tovar singled off the leg of reliever Will Klein, and Johnston drove them both in with a double to right-center.

Right-hander Ryan Feltner shook off a shaky beginning to give the Rockies what they needed: toughness and some needed length from a starter. Feltner pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits, including two solo homers. Feltner struck out five and walked only one.

“Earlier in my career, here, I would have pressed and tried to do something different,” Feltner said. “But just knowing that stuff happens here, you have to know that just keeping our offense in it is really important. That was my main goal.”

For the historic record: Ohtani, the Dodgers superstar, went 0 for 3 vs. Feltner and is now 1 for 10 in his career vs. the right-hander.

Third baseman Kyle Karros rescued Feltner with a sensational play in the sixth. After Freddie Freeman scorched a two-out triple to left-center, Karros robbed Hernandez of extra bases with a diving stop and a perfect throw to first for the out. Hill then entered the game and fanned Muncy for the third out.

“Karros made a huge play — a game-saver,” manager Warren Schaeffer said.

Added Karros: “I was just reacting to the ball. It took me down the line, and I checked whether Freddie was running. He wasn’t, so I threw across the diamond.”

The Rockies got off to an inauspicious start. On the first pitch of the game, Ohtani hit a high chopper to Johnston behind first base. Johnston threw wildly to Feltner, running to cover the bag. Feltner appeared to tweak his back on the play but stayed in the game. He said after the game that his back was fine.

On the next pitch, Tucker ambushed Feltner’s 94.6 mph fastball, sending it over the right-center field wall for a 435-foot, two-run homer.

But Colorado shook off the punch. In the bottom of the frame, a double by Mickey Moniak, followed by an RBI single by rookie TJ Rumfield cut Los Angeles’ lead to 2-1.

L.A. extended its lead to 3-1 in the second on a Dalton Rushing homer off Feltner that barely crept into the right-field seats. The Rockies responded in their at-bat, combining a leadoff single and stolen base by Johnston with a sacrifice fly by Karros to slice the lead to 3-2.

Pitching probables

Sunday: Dodgers RHP Roki Sasaki (0-2, 6.63 ERA) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-2, 8.10), 1:10 p.m.

Monday: Dodgers LHP Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12) at Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63), 6:40 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: 850 AM & 94.1 FM

After a snowy afternoon in Denver, the first pitch temperature was 35 degrees, making it the coldest game in Dodgers history. Then again, they are the Dodgers. And they were playing the Rockies.

The final: Los Angeles 7, Colorado 1. The Rockies (7-13) have lost six of their last seven games. The high-flying Dodgers (15-4) have won 11 of their last 13 games.

Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy sandwiched an RBI double between solo home runs in the second and fifth innings, and right-hander Tyler Glasnow put Colorado’s offense in a deep freeze.

Muncy’s double-homer game was the 21st multi-home run game of his career, and four of those have been launched at Coors.

Glasnow was superb. He gave up one run on two hits over seven innings, striking out seven and walking two. Colorado scored its lone run off Glasnow in the fourth on a leadoff double by Mickey Moniak, who scored on Troy Johnston’s groundout to third.

“(Glasnow) is good, he’s really good,” Colorado manager Warren Schaeffer said. “He threw a curveball that was sharp, and he threw it a ball or two beneath the zone — consistently. We just couldn’t square him up today.”

Actually, the Rockies have never squared up Glasnow. In three career appearances (two starts) against the Rockies, the right-hander is  2-0 with a 1.69 ERA, 19 strikeouts and just three walks.

The Dodgers continue to own the Rockies. Dating back to last season, the Rockies are 2-12 against Big Blue (2-7 at Coors, 0-6 in L.A). Colorado is 12-41 against L.A. since its last series win against the Dodgers on June 27-29, 2022.

Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano was solid in his first three starts, posting a 2.16 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP. But the Dodgers beat him up Friday night, scoring five runs on nine hits over four innings. Sugano allowed a career-high five extra-base hits and needed 91 pitches, and threw just 51 strikes.

He acknowledged the Coors Field cold, but didn’t use it as an excuse.

“It was, no doubt, one of the coldest outings I’ve had in my career, ” Sugano said, using Yuto Sakuri as his interpreter.  “I don’t want to use it as an excuse because the (opposing) hitters are in the same conditions.”

The first inning provided a strong indication that Sugano was in trouble. Shohei Ohtani led off with a double and scored on Will Smith’s sacrifice fly to deep center. Ohtani extended his on-base streak to 49 games, the fourth longest in franchise history.

Freddie Freeman ripped a double to right-center before Sugano struck out Teoscar Hernandez to get out of the inning.

Dollander’s role. Starter-turned-reliever Chase Dollander was brilliant in Colorado’s 3-2 win at Houston Thursday night, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be a full-time starter any time soon. Manager Warren Schaeffer said Friday that he’ll continue to use an “opener” ahead of Dollander.

Why? Routine and to avoid being overexposed by facing the top of the batting order.

“I’m more than comfortable with where he’s at because he’s having a lot of success doing it,” Schaeffer said. “He’s settled into a routine, and routines are very different from being in the bullpen and starting. Obviously, we want him to be a starter, long-term. But right now we don’t want to mess with the routine.”

As for strategy, Schaeffer said: “The third time through the lineup, he’s not facing the top four hitters, which is a big deal. It’s the main reason why you open with anybody.”

Against the Astros, Dollander entered the game in the first inning, pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings, and struck out a career-high nine. He gave up one run and walked two. On Friday, Dollander said he’s “ready for any role I’m asked to fill.”

Injury updates. Lefty starter Kyle Freeland, who’s on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation, underwent an MRI on Friday. The results were encouraging, and the lefty’s stint on the IL should not be a long one. He’s eligible to come off the IL on April 28.

Infielder Willi Castro, hit by a pitch on his right hand on Wednesday night, was out of the lineup again on Friday. However, he’s able to grip the bat better and should return soon.

Pitching probables

Saturday: Dodgers RHP Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 6.60 ERA) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7.30), 6:10 p.m.

Sunday: Dodgers RHP Roki Sasaki (0-2, 6.23) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-2, 8.10), 1:10 p.m.

Monday: Dodgers LHP Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12) at Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63), 6:40 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: 850 AM & 94.1 FM

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The victory, buffered by Colorado’s shutdown bullpen, snapped Colorado’s six-game losing streak.

Dollander didn’t get the start — Colorado used Juan Mejia as an opener — but Dollander entered the game in the first inning, pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings, and struck out nine. He gave up one run and walked two. Dollander’s nine strikeouts tied a franchise record for the most strikeouts by a reliever. He tied Bruce Ruffin, who had nine Ks in relief on Sept. 14, 1993, the Rockies’ inaugural season.

Key Moments: There were multiple high-wire moments, to wit:

• In the sixth, Dollander issued a leadoff walk to Isaac Parades, and Carlos Correra ripped a double to left field off the glove of third baseman Kyle Karros. Dollander looked to be in deep trouble but kept his cool. He got the dangerous Christian Walker to ground out to short by using a nasty sinker. Then Dollander struck out Joey Loperfido and Cam Smith to end the threat.

• In the seventh, the Astros loaded the bases against right-hander Jaden Hill, but on a 2-2 count, Correa lined out softly to first baseman T.J. Rumfield and Colorado’s lead held.

• In the top of the seventh, Colorado loaded the bases with one out but failed to score. AJ Blubaugh struck out Goodman for the second out. Then Mickey Moniak hit a sharper grounder to the right side that looked like a two-run single, but Houston second baseman Jose Altuve made a brilliant, sliding grab and threw out Moniak.

• In the fifth, Hunter Goodman ripped a two-out double to center and Tyler Freeman attempted to score from first base. It seemed like a done deal, but Freeman was erased at the plate by catcher Yanier Dias after perfect throws from center fielder Taylor Trammell and Correa from short.

Who’s hot: Goodman (2 for 3 with a walk) hit a leadoff homer in the fourth inning, his fifth.

Freeman hit 3 for 5 and drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth. Freeman is batting .300.

Center fielder Brenton Doyle has run cold much of the season, but he hit 2 for 3, drew a walk, and stole two bases (he has five this season) and scored on Freeman’s single in the fifth to give Colorado its 3-2 lead.  Doyle raised his average by 26 points to .226.

Who’s not: Mejia failed to get out of the first inning. In two-thirds of an inning, he gave up two runs on two bloop hits, uncorked a wild pitch, and plunked Christian Walker. Dollander came to his rescue.

Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar has cooled down after a hot start. He went 0 for 4, and his average sits at .233.

Worth noting: The Rockies threatened to repeat some bad history, but managed to escape infamy. Colorado had gone winless on a road trip of at least seven games just twice in franchise history: Sept. 15-21, 2011, at San Francisco and San Diego, and June 25-July 1, 1999, at San Diego and at San Francisco.

Pitching probables

Friday: Dodgers RHP Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 4.00 ERA) at Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 2.16), 6:40 p.m.

Saturday: Dodgers RHP Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 6.60) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7.30), 6:10 p.m.

Sunday: Dodgers RHP Roki Sasaki (0-2, 6.23) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-2, 8.10), 1:10 p.m.

Monday: Dodgers LHP Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12) at Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63), 6:40 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA NewsRadio 850 AM & 94.1 FM

Colorado (6-9) wasted an early 4-0 lead, walked seven Padres batters, and lost, 9-5, at Petco Park. Four of the seven walks turned into runs.

Three consecutive losses to the Padres have erased the feel-good vibes from Colorado’s four-game winning streak.

Key moments: The Rockies led 4-3 in the fourth when starter Ryan Feltner gave up a one-out double to Miguel Andujar, a walk to Freddy Fermin, and a two-out, three-run home run to Ramon Laureano.

Colorado loaded the bases in the ninth, but San Diego super closer Jason Adam got Ezequiel Tovar to pop out to second, ending the game. Adam has yet to give up a run this season.

Who’s hot: Mickey Moniak, who started in right field and hit third, hit a two-run homer in the first and a solo homer in the third. He also drove in Ezequiel Tovar with a single in the eighth for his fourth home run of the night. Moniak has a team-leading four home runs.

Leadoff hitter and second baseman Edouard Julien is hitting .344 after a 2-for-3 night that included a solo home run and two walks.

Jordan Beck continues struggling at the plate (0 for 3, his average down to .103), but he made a sensational, running, leaping catch in left field to rob the Padres’ Nick Castellanos of a three-run homer in the first inning.

Who’s not: Starting pitcher Ryan Feltner was not sharp. He fell behind in counts, and it cost him, especially in the third inning when Manny Machado ambushed Feltner’s 3-0 fastball for a two-run homer. Feltner gave up seven hits and six runs over four innings as his ERA rose to 7.30.

Right-handed reliever Zach Agnos walked three straight batters — and walked in a run — in the sixth. He was charged with three runs (two earned) in 1 1/3 innings. His ERA rose to 7.56.

Worth noting: Right-hander German Marquez, the former Rockies All-Star, started for San Diego. The Rockies beat him up pretty good, hitting three homers, but he hung around for five innings and picked up the win.

Pitching probables

Sunday: LHP Kyle Freeland (1-1, 2.30 ERA) at Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (1-2, 5.54), 2:10 p.m.

Monday: Off day

Tuesday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-1, 9.00) at Astros TBD, 6:10 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA NewsRadio 850 AM & 94.1 FM

Holy Blackout, Batman! Unless a Dark Knight swings in to save the day at the 11th hour, Denver sports faithful appear to once again be on the wrong side of a Comcast/Xfinity dispute that threatens their ability to watch championship-level teams in action.

�ݴھ��Ծ��ٲ���dropped channels owned by E.W. Scripps earlier this month in a contract squabble. Denver’s KMGH-TV (Denver7) is one of those Scripps stations — and, as an ABC affiliate, will be carrying some of the NBA Playoffs and Stanley Cup Playoffs.

ESPN/ABC is slated to air roughly 18 NBA postseason games during the first two rounds, and likely one of the two conference finals series this spring. ESPN/ABC will air the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals exclusively.

While specific games and network assignments have yet to be announced, it doesn’t take a VPN to see where this could be going.

And, frankly, it breaks the hearts — yes, we still have them — of the hoops nerds on the Grading The Week crew. Especially as it was only 15 months ago that Nuggets and Avs fans finally got Kroenke Sports & Entertainment’s Altitude channel back on Xfinity after nearly six years of darkness, public sniping and lawsuits.

Comcast/KMGH blackout — D

OK, we hear you. Enough sobbing. So, what are fans’ options for Nuggets and Avs playoff games that they can’t get on Xfinity? You’ve got a few, although none are perfect:

1. Buy a digital antenna. Easy to purchase, easy to install. Signal strength, however, may vary depending on your location.

2. Go full digital.

3. Pay for a streaming option such as Hulu, YouTube or Fubo, for example. (Full disclosure: The higher-ups in the GTW offices have been streaming for ages.)

4. Go full pirate, baby! Yarrrr!

The latter isn’t legal, mind you. But unfortunately, most Nuggets and Avs fans in the metro long ago learned — and frankly, had to learn, thanks to the blackout — how to find their games via more nefarious means.

Rockies making purple cool again? — B

We can’t believe we’re typing this any more than you can believe reading it,  but the Rockies — your Rockies, baseball punching bag, national punchline — had a heck of a week.

Friday morning’s news, as broken by The Post’s Patrick Saunders, brought smiles from FoCo to Castle Rock with the announcement that Broncos owners Carrie Walton-Penner and Greg Penner are purchasing a 40% ownership stake in Colorado’s Major League baseball club.

If nothing else, it probably means a nice cash boost for the Rox as the sport heads into potential labor uncertainty with the expiration of its agreement with the union looming in December. While the Monforts retain control of the team, everything Walton-Penner and Penner have touched with the Broncos so far has turned to gold — or pretty pristine silver, at any rate. It speaks well of the family’s investment in Front Range sports and the Rockies’ long-term prospects, financially and (hopefully) competitively.

Meanwhile, look who’s winning? The Rockies were 2-6 on April 4, you know, same as it ever was. The Phillies rocked Michael Lorenzen in a disastrous 10-1 laugher in the home opener on April 3.

The Rockies went 4-1 over their next five games, with a four-game win streak snapped at San Diego late Thursday night.

Fan fave Mickey Moniak from April 3-8 stirred the drink with three home runs, five RBI and a .714 slugging percentage to lift the middle of the order, while Willi Castro hit .412 and slugged .647 over that span.

Schedule the parades? Not yet. And small sample size, yes. But the last time the Fightin’ Monforts notched at least six wins from their opening 13 games was 2022 (8-5). Their record was 3-10 after a baker’s dozen contests a year ago. They opened 3-10 in ’24; 5-8 in ’23.

The ’22 Rox, by the way. wound up 68-94. If Warren Schaeffer coaxes a 25-win improvement from last year’s 43-119 nadir, give that man your Manager of the Year vote.

Playing push-the-envelope baseball, combined with solid pitching and timely hitting, the Rockies beat the Astros 9-1 on Wednesday afternoon at Coors Field to polish off the three-game sweep. Last season, en route to 119 losses, the Rockies managed one sweep, taking three games in Miami from June 2-4.

And get this: The heretofore swing-happy Rockies had more walks (nine) than strikeouts (seven) for the first time since July 1, 2024, vs. Milwaukee, when they walked five times and struck out four times.

“We are playing in a ballpark that is like no other, right?” said All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman, who smacked a bonus solo home run in the fourth inning. “So, getting guys on base and in scoring position is huge. We’ve been doing that. When you get guys on base, you are going to score a lot of runs here.”

The irony here is that Wednesday’s announced crowd was 15,189, marking the lowest home attendance in franchise history, excluding pandemic-affected seasons. The previous low crowd came on Monday night, with an announced crowd of 16,301.

Starter Michael Lorenzen rebounded from his debacle against the Phillies in last Friday’s home opener — nine runs allowed on 12 hits, including two homers over three innings — to turn in a quality start. He allowed one run on seven hits across 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four, walked two, and sliced his ERA from 14.73 to 9.00.

Lorenzen credited the Rockies’ pitching coaches and analytics team for the turnaround.

“We have some smart people here, and we all put our heads together and tried to figure it out,” he said. “I have a lot of good data from today that we can build off of. It’s not all there yet, but it’s a good, good start.”

Manager Warren Schaeffer said he never doubted that Lorenzen would produce. Colorado signed the veteran right-hander to a one-year, $8 million contract that includes a $9 million club option for 2027. The Rockies need him to deliver.

“He located better today, and he had all of his pitches working,” Schaeffer said. “He was getting ahead in counts. He was big for us today … saving our bullpen.”

Colorado’s five-run second inning was a prime example of the Go-Go Rox style of baseball that Schaeffer has been preaching since spring training.

“That (inning) was fundamentally sound, with sac bunts involved, base-hit bunts involved, and sac flies involved,” Schaeffer said. “We were taking our walks — some really, really tough walks today.

“That’s what we want to do. We want to pass the baton; we want to execute with runners on third with less than two outs. That was very good today.”

The Rockies sent 10 men to the plate in the second, beginning with a leadoff double by Troy Johnston. Included in the track meet were a two-run single by Edoward Julien, a bunt single by Brenton Doyle, an RBI double by Ezequiel Tovar, a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Freeman, a sacrifice fly by Mickey Moniak, three walks, and two stolen bases.

Julien, who’s taking over the leadoff spot, went 5 for 12 with four RBIs during the three-game set.

Lorenzen wasn’t the only pitcher to rebound on Wednesday. Right-hander reliever Zach Agnos, who had allowed 11 hits combined over his last two outings and owned a 12.27 ERA coming in, pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and striking out two.

“It started with (Lorenezen) today, but I just went out there and attacked the zone today,” Agnos said. “Pitching, like hitting, can be contagious. People have picked me up plenty of times, so it was fun to be able to pick them up.”

His biggest moment came in the sixth inning when he relieved Lorenzen with two outs and the bases loaded. He got Christian Vasquez to ground out to third.

“With the way we are playing, you want to get in on the fun,” Agnos said.

The Rockies take their momentum on the road beginning Thursday night when they open a four-game series against the Padres in San Diego.

“The attitude of this club is, every day, no matter where we are, we want to play good baseball,” Schaeffer said. “We are not going to make it a thing and worry about the road as opposed to home. We are just going to go to San Diego tomorrow and try to play a really good baseball game.”

Rolling Rox

The Rockies won their fourth consecutive game and completed a three-game sweep of the Astros on Wednesday. Not a big deal for most teams, but it was for the Rockies, who:
• Captured their first sweep at Coors Field since May 10-12, 2024, vs. the Rangers.
• Won a home series in April. Last season, they didn’t want their first home series until taking two of three from the Twins on July 18-20.
• Improved to 6-6, the latest in the season they’ve been .500 since 2022, when they were 17-17 on May 15.
• Have won four straight games, matching their longest winning streak of 2025, which they did twice.

Pitching probables

Thursday: Rockies TBD (opener) at Padres RHP at RHP Randy Vasquez (1-0, 0.75 ERA), 7:40 p.m.

Friday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 1.69) at Padres RHP Walker Beuhler (0-1, 9.45), 7:40 p.m.

Saturday: Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-0, 4.32) at Padres RHP German Marquez (1-1, 4.50), 6:40 p.m.

Sunday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-1, 2.30) at Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (1-2, 5.54), 2:10 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Eyes might be rolling at those comments, but on Tuesday night at Coors Field, the Rockies walked the walk, beating the Astros 5-1. Starter Kyle Freeland was nails, and Willi Castro and Mickey Moniak both slipped on the celebratory purple faux fur coat after launching home runs.

The Rockies have won three in a row for the first time since their four-game winning streak from Aug. 15-18 of last season and inched back toward .500 with a 5-6 record.

“Listen, this is a different team, this is a new team, ” Schaeffer said. “This is not the same team as last year. The more we can start moving away from talking about last year, I think the better.

“That’s not even a mention in that clubhouse. We are worried about this team right now, and we feel like we are playing good baseball right now.”

Here’s the deal with Freeland. He’s dealing. The lefty, pitching on the ninth anniversary of his major league debut, allowed one run on three hits over 6 1/3 innings. After three starts, he has a 2.30 ERA.

Freeland was commanding — with all of his pitches. He landed 55 of his 81 pitches for strikes, surrendered three hits, walked only two, and struck out five. He fanned the dangerous Jose Altuve twice. The Astros frequently topped the ball, resulting in 10 outs via groundballs.

“I felt pretty good from the jump,” said Freeland, who posted his 54th career quality start at Coors Field, leaving him just three starts shy of tying Aaron Cook for the most quality starts by a pitcher at Coors all-time.

“Everything was working, the changeup was working later in the game, the fastball location was great, and I was keeping them off-balance with offspeed, and the breaker was down in the zone,” he continued.

Freeland, who has a 2.30 ERA after three starts, has had a love-hate relationship with his changeup throughout his 10-year career, but he’s throwing it with confidence at the moment after working with new pitching coach Alon Leichman.

“The changeup, as you guys know, has been a pitch I have struggled with throughout my entire career, trying to find a good grip, trying to find a good way to throw it, and understand the pitch,” he said. “But working with Alon and our pitching coaches this offseason and in camp, we have got something that we really like with the grip, and executing it has really come along nicely. Tonight really showed the work we put in on it.”

Castro showed why Colorado signed him to a two-year, $12.8 million contract. The versatile veteran infielder, who started at second base Tuesday night, hit 3 for 4 and drove in three Rockies runs.

The switch-hitter put Colorado ahead to stay with a two-run homer in the fourth off Astros starter Mike Burrows. Castro smashed Burrows’ 2-1, 87.7 mph slider 436 feet and into the Colorado bullpen in right field. The home run was Castro’s first in a Rockies uniform and snapped his 32-game homerless streak, the third-longest of his career.

Moniak hit his team-leading third home run of the season in the seventh, a two-out, two-run blast to right off reliever Kai-Wei Teng. He was rewarded by teammates slipping the purple coat on his shoulders.

“It was warm, it was really warm for April, for sure,” Moniak said. “But it’s cool … it’s an awesome coat.”

The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the second on Christian Walker’s homer down the right-field line. He lofted Freeland’s 0-1 fastball 371 feet, sneaking it over the wall and just inside the foul pole.

Colorado tied the game in the bottom of the frame, combining an infield hit by Troy Johnston, a walk by T.J. Rumfield, and an RBI single to left by Castro.

The game’s bonus came from right-hander Antonio Senzatela, the former starter who was moved to the bullpen. He pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits, striking out three, and walking none. Senezatela logged the first career save in his 181st career appearance.

“You know, it was amazing being a starter, and now saving a game is amazing,” he said. “You always dream of that back on the field when (you’re) a kid, trying to close a game. Doing it in the big leagues is nice.”

Colorado looks for its first sweep of the season when it hosts Houston on Wednesday afternoon at Coors.

Pitching probables

Wednesday: Astros RHP Cristian Javier (0-1, 12.96 ERA) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (0-1, 14.73), 1:10 p.m.

Thursday: Rockies TBD at Padres RHP at RHP Randy Vasquez (1-0. 0.75), 7:40 p.m.

Friday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 1.69) at Padres RHP Walker Beuhler (0-1, 9.45), 7:40 p.m.